Juvenile hormone III (JH III) plays an important role in insect reproduction, development, and behavior. The second branch of JH III production includes oxidation of farnesol to farnesal by farnesol dehydrogenase. This study reported the identification and characterization of Plutella xylostella farnesol dehydrogenase (PxFoLDH). Our results showed that PxFoLDH belongs to the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase superfamily, consisting of a single domain with a structurally conserved Rossman fold, an NAD(P) (H)-binding region and a structurally diverse C-terminal region. The purified enzyme displayed maximum activity at 55|$\ $|°C with pH 9.5 and was stable in the temperature below 70|$\ ^\circ $|C. PxFoLDH was determined to be a monomer with a relative molecular weight of 27 kDa and highly specific for trans, trans-farnesol, and NADP⁺. Among analog inhibitors tested, farnesyl acetate was the most effective inhibitor with the lowest K_i value of 0.02 µm. Our findings showed this purified enzyme may represent as NADP⁺-farnesol dehydrogenase.

The restricted dispersibility of cellulose in water has grown to be a significant problem which is a key step in making cellulose soluble in water and common solvent. To overcome the obstacle, cellulose structure is being modified to improve the surface properties and the utilization of the cellulose itself. In this study, cellulose I and cellulose II were examined after treated with water-soluble 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical (TEMPO). The hydrogen bond between chains and the crystallinity of the cotton linter (cellulose I) was first broken by NaOH/urea. Then, cellulose I and NaOH/urea-treated cellulose (cellulose II) were oxidized with sodium chlorite, sodium bromide, and TEMPO in a catalytic amount.

The oldest preservation techniques used are drying techniques, which are employed to remove moisture and prevent microorganisms’ growths, prolonging a material’s shelf life. This study evaluates the effects of drying methods on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) + citric acid (CA) coating layers on cotton threads. For this reason, cotton threads were washed and then coated with different layers of CMC cross-linked with CA, followed by drying using an oven (OD), infrared (IR), and a combination of oven + IR (OIR) drying methods at 65 °C. Our investigations revealed that CMC + CA yields a pliable biopolymer. The differences in drying regimes and coating layers of CMC + CA have a significant effect on the coated cotton thread strength and absorption capability. The study concluded that the IR drying regime is more effective to dry a single-layered cotton thread with a single layer of CMC + CA coating to enhance desirable properties for wound dressing modification.

Macro-size regenerated cellulose fibres (RCFs) with embedded graphene oxide (GO) were fabricated by dissolving cellulose in a pre-cooled sodium hydroxide (NaOH)/urea solution and regenerated in sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) coagulant. Initially, GO was found to disperse well in the cellulose solution due to intercalation with the cellulose; however, this cellulose–GO intercalation was disturbed during the regeneration process, causing agglomeration of GO in the RCF mixture. Agglomerated GO was confirmed at a higher GO content under a Dino-Lite microscope. The crystallinity index (CrI) and thermal properties of the RCFs increased with increasing GO loadings, up to 2 wt.%, and reduced thereafter. Cellulose–GO intercalation was observed at lower GO concentrations, which enhanced the crystallinity and thermal properties of the RCF–GO composite. It was shown that the GO exhibited antibacterial properties in the RCF–GO composite, with the highest bacterial inhibition against E. coli and S. aureus.